Snap-hook.



PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

J. A. ZERBE. SNAP HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Witnesses Y e m m A Patented I/ Iay 10, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. ZERBE, ()F LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

A sNAP-HooK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,794, dated May 10,1904..

- Application filadJannary 18,1904. Serial No. 189,564. (No modal.)

To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that 1, JOHN Zens n, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap-Hooks; and Ido declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effectiveattachment for snap-hooks whereby the sliding tongue of the hook may belocked from movement, the locking device being in the form of a sleevemounted to retate upon the stem of the hook, said sleeve being formedfrom a flat blank of sheet metal bent into approximately cylindricalform and provided at its meeting edges with projections which are bentat an angle to serve as an operating finger-piece and space the walls ofthe sleeve to provide a slot which when alined with the knob of thetongue will allow the latter to be retracted and when moved out ofalinement with said tongue will prevent its retraction, thus providing adevice for the purpose which may be readily applied to any snaphook andmanufactured. at small cost.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is atop plan view oil a single form of snap-hook, showing the application ofmy invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the hookand locking-sleeve. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2,showing the finger-piece turned sidewise to bring the slot of the sleeveout of alinement with the latch-knob. Fig. at is a plan view of theblank from which the locking-sleeve is made. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview showing the blank bent into nearly circular form in readiness to beapplied to the stem of the hook; and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively aplan view of a double snap-hook, showing a modified form of sleeveapplied thereto, and aperspective view, similar to Fig. 5 of themodified form of sleeve.

Referring now more specifically to the d rawings, the numeral 1designates a snap-hook of ordinary construction comprising a slottedtnbular stem 2, a link or connector 3 at one end of the stem, a-hook 4at the opposite end of the stem, and a sliding tongue or latch 5,adapted to coi'iperate with said hook, said tongue being fitted to slidein said stem and provided with aknob or linger-piece 6, the narrow neckof which fits and slides in the slot of the stem in the customarymanner. The spring 6 in the stem serves to projectthe tongue.

Mounted onthe stem 2 is my improved locking-sleeve 7, which is formedfrom the blank showninFig. 5, the same being struck up from a singlepiece of sheet metal, the .?aid blank be ing of oblong rectangular formand provided at its side edges with lateral projections 8. In the formsshown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, these projections are arranged nearone end of the sleeve and the latter is formed from the blank by firstbending it longitudinally into channeled or nearly circular shape, asshown in Fig. 5, fitting the incomplete sleeve so formed. about the stemof the hook and then completing the sleeve by contracting it until themeeting edges thereof approxin'iate, when the projections 8 are bent atright angles in parallel relation and secured together in any approvedmanner, as by soldering them or mechanically connecting them, so thatthey will form a finger-piece 9 and at the same time act as connectorsfor the edges of the blank and spacing devices to hold the meeting edgesin advance thereof apart, thus providing a slot 10, which is adapted byrotating the sleeve upon the stem, through the medium of saidlinger-piece, to be brought into and out of register with the slot inthe stem, as shown, respectively, in Figs. 1 and 3, thus allowing thelinger-pieee of the hook to be actuated to retract the tongue or to abutagainst the narrow neck portion of the finger-piece and prevent rearwardmovement thereof, and consequently retraction of the tongue. It willthus be seen that by the simple construction of the locking-sleeveformed as thus described an efiective form of locking device is providedin which the number of parts is reduced to the minimum and a rotarydevice of such form furnished as may be readily applied to snap-hooks ofany use by the aid of simple tools.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the application of the invention to a double form ofsnap-hook having oppositely-arranged hooks and sliding tongues. In thisapplication of the invention the structure of the locking-sleeve isnecessarily modified in order to adapt it to cooperate with both slidingtongues. This is accomplished by arranging the finger-piece 9, formed bythe engaged projections 8, at the center of the sleeve, so that thespaced meeting walls of the sleeve on opposite sides thereof will bespaced to form oppositely-projecting slots 10 to cooperate with thefinger-pieces of the tongues.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood, and it will beseen that a form of lock is provided which may be quickly andconveniently attached to existing snap-hooks and which is simple ofconstruction and may be manufactured at small cost.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to Without departing from theprinciple orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is v In a snap-hook, the combination with a hookhaving a stem and a sliding tongue, the latter being provided with anoperating device, of a locking device for the tongue, the samecomprising a sleeve rotatable on said stem and formed from a blank bentinto form, having connected projections at its meeting edges forming aconnector and finger-piece, portions of said edges being spaced toprovide a slot to allow the operating device to move When brought intoalinement therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnessesf JOHN A. ZERBE.

Witnesses: 1

BENJ. F. WARD, ISAAC MILLER.

